VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA—(Marketwire – Jan. 19, 2010) - East Asia Minerals Corporation (TSX VENTURE:EAS) reports that NI43-101 resource estimate drilling at the Miwah Main Zone in Aceh Province, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, is progressing well with two drill rigs turning, both having encountered visually altered and mineralized rock in holes EMD017 and 018. Assays are pending for EMD0016. (Refer to drill location map on Company's website at www.EAminerals.com).

The Company also announces that excellent progress has been made in designing the resource estimate drill program for the South Miwah Bluff Gold discovery. This program is expected to commence Q2 2010. Detailed follow-up mapping, rock and soil sampling have determined that the South Miwah Bluff Gold Zone is open and may significantly extend from the earlier mapping. The exploration grid is being extended east from the previously defined 650 metres north-south by up to 300 metres east-west footprint. Highlights from the detailed follow-up include strong anomalous gold in soils (1 ppm gold) in an area open to the east, and coincident with high relief topography and a surface induced polarization zone with strong resistivity and chargeability results that extend further east (Refer to NE quadrant of South Miwah Bluff Soil Geochemistry map on Company's website at www.EAminerals.com).

Elsewhere in the Company's impressive Indonesian gold portfolio, work has advanced at the Lower Tengkereng and Bahu porphyry gold-copper projects where geological, geochemical and ground preparations for drilling Q2 2010 are on schedule. East Asia plans to drill one to two holes in each of these projects to demonstrate the potential of these large porphyry gold systems.

Work at the Bahu project is near completion to provide drill targets in an area where porphyry gold mineralization and alteration have been defined over a 1.6 by 0.9 kilometres area. This project has not been previously drilled. Channel sampling of intense quartz vein stockwork (in excess of 20% quartz vein density) has encountered 30 metres at 0.71 g/t gold with 0.034% copper, 36 metres at 0.65 g/t gold with 0.031% copper, 40 metres at 0.59 g/t gold, and 46 metres at 0.75 g/t gold with 0.027% copper.

*The Upper Tengkereng gold equivalent used a copper to gold ratio of 1:1.36 (1% copper = 1.36 gm gold); based on then current metal market prices, and assuming total recoveries of both metals.

Miwah BackgroundThe Miwah Gold Prospect was partially defined by approximately 3,100 metres of drilling in twelve holes by a previous explorer in 1997. All holes drilled during this program intersected significant alteration and mineralization with intercepts including 71 metres of 1.4 g/t gold and 58 metres of 1.1 g/t gold. The previous explorer suggested potential for 100 Mt at 1.1 to 1.2 g/t gold, however a review of the historical data indicates that early drilling was parallel to higher grade (greater than 5 g/t gold) structures at surface. Hence, in addition to greater mineralized tonnage, significantly higher overall grades are anticipated from better geological understanding, results of the Company's detailed sampling, and properly oriented drill holes.

Based on the Company's work Miwah is resolving into two components; a large 1,200 metre long, at least 300 to 400 metre wide, approximately 200 metre thick tabular zone; and vertical diatreme breccia feeder zones that are beneath and cut through this. At Miwah Gold Zones, East Asia has almost 2,500 metres of rock sawn channel samples which average 2.35 g/t gold. Grade expectations in Main Miwah Gold Zone exceed 1.5 g/t gold. Ongoing sampling verified the Company's confidence that higher overall gold grades can be achieved due to the presence of multiple high grade rock sawn channel samples throughout the strike, including 4.11 g/t gold over 200 metres at the eastern part of the Main Miwah Gold Zone, and 4.35 g/t gold over 27 metres at the western part. Recent drilling has supported this. In addition to the tabular zone the Company has begun to characterize some of the diatreme breccia feeder zones, with rock sawn channel samples including 83.59 g/t gold over 24 metres and 20.14 g/t gold over 12 metres. Recent drilling has supported this. These feeder zones have great potential to develop into substantial tonnages of higher grade gold mineralization in an area adjacent to the Main Miwah Gold Zone.

The Miwah Property is in a very similar volcanic setting to the Martabe gold-silver deposit, also located in North Sumatra (Purnama and Baskara resources: 127.8 million tonnes at 1.4 g/t gold (5.5 million ounces gold) and 15 g/t silver (60 million ounces silver), and the alteration system is of a comparable size. Miwah also exhibits a likeness to the size, style and geometry of the alteration system developed at the Pierina gold deposit in Peru (67.7 Mt grading 2.98 g/t gold and 22 g/t silver, giving a total 6.49 million ounces gold and 47.9 million ounces silver).

Samples reported were assayed at Intertek assay laboratories in Jakarta. Lionel Martin, P.Geo., the designated QP within the meaning of NI 43-101, has reviewed and approves the content of this release. East Asia has not verified the classification of the resource references and is not treating them as NI 43-101 defined resources verified by a QP. Although the references of resources are relevant to recognizing the potential of the Miwah project, they should not be relied upon.

Barisan Porphyry Geological SettingEast Asia Minerals' Barisan II Project encompasses a cluster of six known porphyry centers within a 6.2 kilometre by 3 kilometre block (view map at www.EAminerals.com). At the Upper and Lower Tengkereng Prospect areas, two windows of similar porphyry gold-copper mineralization, located about 1.5 kilometres apart, are exposed through shallow interbedded sedimentary and volcanic cover rocks and may be linked at depth. Recent and historical drilling suggests that gold and copper grades improve with depth.

Geological features observed in drill core from Upper Tengkereng and surface outcrops at Lower Tengkereng confirm that these systems share many features of the world's best gold-rich porphyry copper deposits in the circum-Pacific rim.

About East Asia Minerals CorporationEast Asia Minerals (TSX VENTURE:EAS) is an Asian-based, Canadian mineral exploration company with gold and copper exploration properties in Indonesia, and uranium exploration properties in Mongolia. In Indonesia the Company has a 70 to 85% interest in six advanced gold and gold-copper properties located in Aceh Province, Sumatra, and Sangihe Island, North Sulawesi. Two of these, the Sangihe (Binebase-Bawone) and Barisan 1 (Abong) gold projects, are being advanced to define NI43-101 compliant resources. The Company owns eight uranium properties, including the advanced Ingiin-Nars, Ulaan Nuur and Enger uranium projects, and two phosphate properties in Mongolia. East Asia currently has 71,127,372 shares outstanding. Its shares are listed for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "EAS".

Forward Looking Statements - This News Release contains forward looking information within the meaning of the British Columbia Securities Act, the Ontario Securities Act and the Alberta Securities Act, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results and the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with our expectations, metal recoveries, accidents, equipment breakdowns, title matters and surface access, labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in production, the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of new or updated feasibility studies, the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations (including uranium, fuel, steel and construction items), currency fluctuations, failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and other risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The words anticipate, believe, estimate and expect and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, are intended to identify forward looking statements relating to the business and affairs of the Company. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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